


Save Again

by BakaDoll



Series: Soldier!Andrew verse [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Army, Andrew is soft and gentle in this one, Fluff, Hospitals, Injury, Kissing, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Recovery, soldier!Andrew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 01:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16295420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaDoll/pseuds/BakaDoll
Summary: After Neil has been rescued from Lola he needs to recover from his injuries. Luckily, Andrew is there to help.





	Save Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Andreil13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andreil13/gifts).



> This took about 56846416541684 years until I finished it and I am SO. SORRY.  
> Andreil13 asked for this aaaaages ago and I actually started it pretty quickly after getting the prompt but then......idek what happened then, and it sat in my WIPs all that time until I F I N A L L Y finished it today!  
> It was so nice to write for this verse again, since it's really dear to me. I hope you guys enjoy it!

It had cost Stuart an ungodly amount of money for the doctors not to ask any questions or call the feds. Not that money was of any concern to Stuart. He had paid even bigger sums for smaller things than the silence of three doctors and two nurses, and a private room in a hospital.

 

As soon as he had informed them about their whereabouts, Brian and Jo had taken all the Foxes straight to the hospital. They were there even before Neil made it out of surgery.

 

Kevin was so drunk by the time the nurses wheeled Neil’s bed into his room, he slurred something about killing Neil if he had gotten himself killed, before passing out on the chair next to Neil’s bed, his head resting on the mattress right next to Neil’s hip. Nicky had cried as soon as he laid eyes upon him. Matt and Dan and Allison made sure he wasn’t going to die after all before interrogating him about what the fuck was going on. Aaron had clenched his jaw, eyed Neil and smacked his knee - one of the few parts of Neil not covered in bruises and burns and cuts. Renee had softly kissed his temple and gave him gentle words.

Through all of this, Andrew hadn’t said a word but was a constant presence by Neil’s side, standing by the head of his bed, his hip touching the metal frame. Despite their unwillingness to leave Neil again so soon, one of the nurses ushered the Foxes out after only two hours.

 

“He needs some sleep now,” she said, unmoved by their pained expressions, “You can come back as soon as visiting hours start tomorrow.” When she turned to Andrew he narrowed his eyes at her. She made a face, looking as if she was fully prepared to make him leave herself if she had to. She sniffed and, to everyone’s surprise, said:

“Your bed will be here any minute, my coworker is preparing it right now.”

 

Stuart smiled slyly. 

  
“Wonderful. Thank you very much for going through all that trouble for us, it’s highly appreciated.”

 

“Sure,” the nurse eyed Stuart from head to toe but seemed otherwise unimpressed. Neil had a strong feeling this wasn’t the first time she was involved in something like this.

 

“We will come visit again as soon as possible, okay?” Matt promised. Him and Nicky each slung one of Kevin’s arms around their necks to help him to his feet and out of the room. Kevin said something almost unintelligible, but it sounded like and attempt at refusing to leave. Neil wasn’t sure whether he was struggling to get out of Matt and Nicky’s grip or to stay on his feet. Nicky, still teary-eyed, gave Neil another once-over but quickly averted his pained gaze from all of his bandages.

“Get better soon, yeah?” He said.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Neil said to them. Then he lowered his head and added, more quietly: “I’m sorry.”

 

“You better be,” Allison huffed angrily, but then gently squeezed his knee through the sheet, “See you tomorrow.”

 

Two minutes later only Neil, Stuart, Andrew and the nurse were left. The other nurse, a couple years younger than the first, entered shortly after, pushing a second bed into the room and placing it right next to Neil’s. She eyed Andrew and Neil for just a second before looking at her coworker who just shrugged at her unvoiced question. 

“The call button is only for emergencies,” the older woman said with emphasis and slight annoyance in her voice, then both nurses left. So did Stuart a short while later, wishing Andrew and Neil a good night and promising to come by again as soon as he could.

 

“For now,” Stuart said with a light tone in his voice, “I have to go and find a dumb boy whose Pops would like a word with him. I’m going to have to stand far away from Kengo and Riko when they’re having their talk - I’d hate to get blood on my new Huntsman suit.”

 

And just like that, Andrew and Neil were alone. Neil looked at Andrew. Andrew didn’t look at him.

 

“Andrew…” Neil’s voice was quiet but still felt too loud in the silent room. He could almost hear the drip of his IV bottle. Andrew still didn’t look at him. He stayed perfectly still by the side of his bed, hands buried in the pockets of his jeans, eyes fixed on a spot on the opposite wall. 

 

“Are you angry?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Tell me why, so I can apologize.”

 

“There’s nothing you can apologize for.” Finally, finally, finally Andrew turned his head and looked at Neil. His face was carefully blank. Neil knew behind this mask all sorts of emotions were rioting inside Andrew, but he couldn’t tell which was the most prominent one.

 

“Can I make it better?” Neil asked. He could feel how desperation slowly crept up inside him. He didn’t want Andrew to be angry, but he didn’t know what exactly he was angry about, so he couldn’t do anything about it either.

The mattress dipped ever so slightly when Andrew sat down on its edge.

“I’m not angry with  _ you _ ,” he said. Neil’s heart felt a million pounds lighter in the matter of a second. It felt heavy again when Andrew carefully put his hand on his cheek, running his thumb over the band-aid covering one of his burns. The pain and anger in his eyes shattered Neil’s heart into a million pieces. His fingers slid further down. Neil felt the finger-shaped bruises on his neck ache when Andrew touched them but he didn’t move. Andrew watched his own hand cover the purple patches of skin until they were completely hidden by his pale hand.

“If I would’ve hit her right the first time--”

 

“No.” Neil’s voice rang through the room and Andrew’s eyes darted up to his, surprised by his harsh voice.

“No,” Neil said again and reached for Andrew’s wrist, “Don’t even think that, Andrew. None of this is your fault. I’m  _ glad _ it wasn’t you who killed Lola.” Andrew frowned and Neil lowered his eyes. Carefully he let his hand slide up until it was covering Andrew’s, curled his fingers around it and lifted it off his neck. 

  
“I don’t want you to kill for me. You’re already far more involved in all of  _ this _ than I ever wanted you to be, but as long as I can help it, I don’t want you to kill for me. Not this.” If it was Neil’s choice, Andrew wouldn’t have been there at all. He didn’t know  _ why _ he was to begin with, it was confusing to him that, of all people, Stuart and Andrew showed up to get him out of the house in Baltimore, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for letting Andrew be involved so deep in this that he killed someone for Neil’s sake - even if it was Lola. He didn’t want Andrew tainted by her blood.

 

Andrew was silent for a long while and both just looked, considering each other and their words. It was Andrew, who broke the silence eventually.

“Okay,” he didn’t say more, but it was enough to let Neil relax. Andrew understood. 

He sat down on the second bed and stretched his arm out in an invitation Neil was happy to take. He scooted close, melting against Andrew’s side, feeling his muscles relax when he was surrounded by the all too familiar warmth and scent of Andrew. He really had missed him.

It struck Neil how careful Andrew was when he curled his arm around him and pulled him just the tiniest bit closer; a caution he usually didn’t show - didn’t need to show - and that no one ever thought him capable of, but once again Andrew was more thoughtful than people would expect of him. Neil smiled softly.

“Why are you even here? You were supposed to come tomorrow,” Neil asked. Not that he wasn’t more than happy to have Andrew here with him, but he had no idea why he came a day early, all the way to Baltimore, together with Stuart and all of the Foxes. It just didn’t make any sense. So Andrew told him - about how Kevin found his phone the day before and answered Andrew’s call, about how Andrew called Stuart and how Stuart took them all to Baltimore and, ultimately, Andrew to the house. 

 

“I can’t believe Stuart let you come with,” Neil huffed, shaking his head. But then again, Stuart always had a penchant for dramatics. He was, after all, very british. Andrew just gave a one-shouldered shrug as a response. 

Neil wanted to tell him that this was definitely not a matter that could just be shrugged off, but all that left his mouth was a long yawn. Neil had to admit he still felt a bit drowsy from the anesthesia, not to mention the way his whole body ached. A gentle hand brushed up along his arm and stopped at his shoulder.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Andrew said. Neil nodded his agreement. 

 

Every position he tried hurt and Neil got frustrated with it too quickly. He ended up on his back, staring angrily at the ceiling. Next to him, Andrew huffed quietly, then pushed his arm beneath Neil’s pillow. Neil let him.

Lips found his shoulder, his neck, his jaw, his temple. A shudder ran down Neil’s spine. Andrew tangled their legs beneath the blanket and carefully draped his other arm over Neil’s stomach. Soon enough Neil was soothed by the warmth from Andrew’s body. Neil turned his head and buried his face in the crook of Andrew’s neck for a moment before he tipped his chin up and brushed his nose along his jaw. He barely felt the pull of the burns and cuts on his face when Andrew’s lips touched his own. All he could feel was the brush of Andrew’s lips, his fingers drawing small circles into his stomach, his breath on his face. Neil hated the distance that usually lay between them, but it also made these moments special. Every time they met again after weeks or months, kisses like this one felt like the very first time they kissed. It stilled a deep longing inside Neil, gave him peace, shut down his racing mind for a while. Andrew pulled back, but Neil caught his lips again a second later and Andrew allowed it. 

Neil winced when he raised his chin too far and a sharp pain ran through the whole left side of his face. He put a bandaged hand to it and muttered quiet curses under his breath, and Andrew huffed quietly. 

“We’re going to sleep now,” he decided and, though unwilling, Neil nodded his approval. These bruises were going to be a major inconvenience during those few days he got to spend with Andrew and it was already frustrating. 

 

Neil fell asleep faster than anticipated, warm and save in Andrew’s arms, and only woke up when the morning nurse cruelly turned the lights on at 7.30am. Neil groaned and raised his hands to cover his face with them, and groaned even more when he realised his mistake as pain shot through his hands and arms. 

“Good morning,” the nurse said with little to no sincerity in her voice and walked over to the bed, “You, off the bed. I need to check the patient’s bandages.”

Neil took his hands off his face and opened his eyes just to see Andrew, who looked like he had been awake for a while already, throwing the nurse the most murderous stare he’d ever seen on him. She, however, didn’t seem fazed at all by it.

 

“Now, please. I don’t have all morning.”

 

Andrew complied without a word and carefully pulled his arm from underneath Neil’s pillow before climbing out of the bed. What followed was a time-consuming and painful change of every single bandage on Neil’s body. The ointment she put on them still stung when the nurse was done with him.

 

“Breakfast is going to be ready in half an hour,” she said as she packed her things and made her way to the door.

“Hey, uh, do you know how long I’ll have to stay here?” Neil called after her. The nurse looked at him somewhat annoyed, then threw a glance at his patient chart.

“If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to leave tonight.” That must have been the best news in a while. And, they proved to be right. By the time evening rolled by, the doctor did his last check-up on Neil and gave his okay for him to leave the hospital. 

 

Returning to Foxtower was the best thing in the world. The Foxes welcomed him back with open arms, he wasn’t kicked off the team for what happened and Andrew was there. Obviously the week didn’t go as planned, since Neil was pretty much covered in bruises and bandages, but that didn’t mean it was a bad week. The opposite, actually. Neil learned about a side of Andrew that week, that even he hadn’t expected. Andrew went to the shower with him every time to help, and even washed him when it proved too painful for Neil. He put the antibiotic ointment and fresh bandages on his wounds with gentle, careful fingers and held Neil at night when he couldn’t sleep due to the pain or nightmares. 

 

By the end of the week, it was harder than ever to say goodbye. 

 

“Next time try not to be kidnapped when I’m coming to visit,” Andrew told him when he shouldered his bag. Neil pulled a face and frowned at him. Andrew sighed and took a step towards him. He put a hand on Neil’s cheek and pushed it across his skin, until it lay in his neck and he could bury his fingers in his curls. The gesture soothed Neil and he squeezed his eyes shut when Andrew pulled him in to press a kiss to his forehead. 

 

“I’m gonna miss you,” Neil mumbled. He blinked his eyes open again when Andrew’s lips left his skin and they were soon looking at each other. “Will you come again soon?”

 

“As soon as I can,” Andrew promised. That was enough for Neil. Of course he knew Andrew couldn’t just come down every weekend. Even though he wished he could. 

They shared a last kiss before Andrew had to leave Neil behind in the dorm. Matt was waiting in the hallway - he offered to take Andrew to the train station since Neil couldn’t even grip the gear shift properly. 

Matt, bless him, smiled at Neil sympathetically before saying bye and taking Andrew with him. Neil waved at them and stayed in the door frame until they were out of view. With a sigh, Neil closed the door and sat down with Nicky and Aaron. The first few hours after Andrew left were always the worst - but at least he knew he’d come to visit again soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me on [my tumblr](http://fox-sleeping-minyard.tumblr.com/) and chat with me! ♥


End file.
